Volunteers are a valued and essential part of the team at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust. Volunteers help to improve and enhance the patient experience, complementing the work of employed staff across the Trust. We aim to represent the diversity of the community we serve. The Hospital of St Cross is supported by the Friends of the Hospital of St Cross and Rugby Hospital Radio.
We are humbled by our existing volunteers and the volunteer response to COVID-19. We have recruited over 200 members of the public during the crisis. Collectively our volunteers have contributed over 6500 hours of volunteering to the Trust.
We are currently recruiting for the following roles:
Our Meet and Greet Volunteers are based in the Main Entrance and Outpatients Department of University Hospital Coventry where they welcome patients and visitors, help people navigate their way around the hospital and reassure and support them.
The Friends of the Hospital of St Cross are operating a Meet and Greet service at the entrances at the Hospital of St Cross and the Friends Blood Taking Unit.
Our Volunteer Drivers provide a professional and dedicated transportation service in their own vehicle taking patients to University Hospital Coventry and the Hospital of St Cross in Rugby. Patients are generally mobile and require escorting between the vehicle and the clinic or home address. Volunteer Drivers are also required to deliver equipment and medication to patients’ homes.
Please note: A four door vehicle is required for transporting patients. Volunteer Drivers are re-imbursed 45p per mile.
Our COVID-19 Vaccine Centre Meet and Greet volunteers are based at University Hospital, Coventry escorting patients from our outpatients department up to the COVID-19 Vaccine Centre on the 1st Floor. Volunteers are also meeting and greeting patients, staff and members of the community at the entrance of the COVID-19 Vaccine Centre. Volunteers are required between the hours of 8am and 8pm Monday – Sunday.
Volunteering is a rewarding way of giving up your time. There are many reasons why people choose to volunteer, such as:
Please download the application pack and return it to volunteers@uhcw.nhs.uk or post it to the freepost address at the top of the form.
Volunteer Application Pack
Please contact the Voluntary Services Department if you are having any difficulties and would like us to post a form out to you.
Tel: 024 7696 5146 / 024 7696 5147 / 024 7696 6949 Email: volunteers@uhcw.nhs.uk
After a short stay in University Hospital and watching volunteers come on to the ward to help with feeding etc I said to myself I can do that. I am retired so had time on my hands toy box permitting. I have had first class treatment for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm at Northampton General, and a course of Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer and a five-day layover for Diabetes, I made my mind up to put something back.
I had an application form sent to me, filled it in and I put ward work and driving as my preferred work, at the Induction given by Sukie I was asked if driving my own car appealed to me after the explanation of what was wanted I stepped up and said yes.
I never really know what is going to happen from one day to the next or even hour to hour some days, a call from Kristine, Sukie or Cherelle in the volunteer's office can alter my plans with pick-ups from anywhere to go to University Hospital or the Hospital of St Cross or to take a patient home.
My car is a Chrysler 300, which is not a Bentley as many of my passengers think it is.
I have lived in in Coventry for two years and would recommend volunteering to anyone.
I began working as a volunteer for the phlebotomy department in 2013 at University Hospital Coventry. I started my volunteer work by visiting different wards completing satisfaction surveys with patients. I found this to be a very interesting role talking to real people about their experiences and getting to offer an ear to listen when people need it the most. Soon after, I then moved to the check in desk where I would offer assistance to those who needed help checking in for their blood test. I love to help people so the role fitted well with why I wanted to be a volunteer in the first place. Alongside this I took on another role in the Arden Centre for the breast care nurses helping them with paperwork and putting information packs together, this lead on to helping with the Look Good Feel Better scheme that the hospital runs for women with cancer. Serving tea and coffee to the lovely ladies that visited the group whilst they were either getting treated or have just finished their treatment. This was one of my favourite parts of my job over the years.
I became a volunteer originally because I wanted to give back to the NHS. Over my time, friends and family, those close to me, have all come under the care of the amazing doctors and nurses of the National Health Service. It only felt right for me volunteer my time to try and help too. Being at the Arden Centre especially means a lot to me, as cancer has touched my family and I felt it is the best way to thank the wonderful members of staff that have treated those close to me.
I feel a sense of satisfaction in contributing my time, as well as enjoying the camaraderie of fellow volunteers. I look forward to coming in a few days a week to play my part in the hospital assisting with patients and staff. I can honestly say I love what I do and after 7 years I have a lot of memories and I am looking forward to being there for years to come.
19 years ago, my Mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer and was given 6 – 12 months to live. I was 42 years old then. This news took a while for it to sink in for the both of us. My Mum wanted no one around other than me to help and support her through this frightening and unknown journey. Although, I felt so privileged, equally I was scared out of my wits and shed so many tears behind my Mum’s back as she depended on my strength to help her through this tragic time.
I had no perception of the NHS as I never had any great need for it as I generally enjoyed good health.
As time went on and we had constant visits to this hospital for my Mum’s treatment such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy and generally to speak to consultants and nursing staff.
Over time my world seemed to divide into two; the one I was living and working in and the other with the NHS and its staff. The care and compassion given to me and my Mum started to become my real world and one which I wanted to be a part of. I’ve never seen anything like it before; the incredible dedication, commitment and how tirelessly the NHS staff worked and most of all their care and compassion shown to me.
Sadly, 11 months later my Mum passed away. I went back to my superficial world and yet my thoughts were constantly with the NHS staff that helped me through these tough times. The only way I felt I could pay the NHS back was somehow to give my time and emulate some of the care and compassion shown to me.
The desire was so strong that I held this vision for the next 14 years and took the opportunity to retire early at the age of 57 and started my long awaited venture as a volunteer with this hospital. The feeling was so euphoric and equally scary as this was a massive turning point in my life.
I have been a volunteer for almost five years now and the purpose is so incredible that it cannot be matched by anything I have done in the past. I’m finally part of the real world and by far they have been the best five years of my life.
My motivation and drive comes from the teams or people I work with. It’s an immense joy to be surrounded by caring, compassionate people who work tirelessly and brings me a huge amount of satisfaction if I can be part of making their lives easier.
Finally, I’ve been quite reluctant to publicise what I do as it’s an inherited value from my Mum that I should quietly be giving something back without any praise or glory.
Let’s face it how often do we take time out to praise and glorify the NHS.
I have always wanted to work in the heath sector, and to follow in the footsteps of my mum as she is a nurse and runs a clinic for heart patients, at University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire. From when I was young, I heard from my mum of how great it is to work for UHCW, so becoming a volunteer was the logical step for me.
When I joined, I had no idea what it was going to be like. I have a diagnosis of high-functioning autism, which can make it difficult to communicate what I want to say. In addition to my autism I am visually impaired, which means that I may need extra support with filling out any paperwork. Becoming a volunteer helped me to improve my communication skills, as well as my ability to respond to situations and has made me a more confident person.
Everyone that I work with from those at the help desk to Kristine and Sukie, who oversee our volunteer team, have been supportive and helpful. Overall becoming a volunteer has helped me become confident in myself.
We want to reassure you that our hospitals are safe environments. We are working hard to protect patients, staff and our volunteers. The Trust has robust policies and processes in place for deploying volunteers safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes supplying PPE, exercising high levels of hand hygiene and social distancing and providing appropriate training. All volunteers will have a personal risk assessment completed as part of the recruitment process to ensure that you are deployed safely. You will have the opportunity to discuss any concerns you have around COVID-19 during the application process.
If you are considering applying to become a volunteer, please ensure you meet our entry requirements before submitting an application:
Regular commitment from our volunteers is extremely important to us. We are incredibly grateful to all the volunteers who give up their time. We require volunteers to commit to a volunteering shift of 2-3 hours a week, unless we specifically state otherwise.
Yes, we complete DBS checks for all of our volunteers. The checks are free and completed online. We will take you through the process and will provide you with more information after you have expressed an interest in volunteering.
We aim to process applications within two weeks. This depends on applicants completing their paperwork in a timely manner. There could be delays caused by the DBS or if we need to refer you for any further health checks before you start.
We are running weekly Volunteer Inductions so we would aim to have you started in 2-4 weeks.
Volunteers are entitled to free car parking or can have their bus fare reimbursed for the days they are on duty only.
Volunteering is not a work placement or work experience and you are not assessed; this is volunteering your time to benefit patients and staff. For work placements or work experience please contact our Work Experience Department on workexperience@uhcw.nhs.uk
If you have any questions please email us at volunteers@uhcw.nhs.uk or call 024 7696 5146 / 024 7696 5147
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Please ensure you have a current blood test request form, if not please contact your hospital consultant or GP and they will post one to you. Unfortunately, your blood test will need to be rescheduled if you do not have a blood test request form when you come to a Blood Test clinic.
All blood tests are by appointment, please book an appointment using the Book Online button below.
If you have an appointment and cannot attend, please remember to cancel or reschedule your appointment so that someone else can use the time slot that you no longer need.
If you cannot book an appointment online, family and friends may be able to help – you can book appointments for more than one person from one account. Booking online is the quickest way to make an appointment.
If this is not possible, there is a telephone line for those who cannot book online. Please call 02476 153546 between 8am and 1pm Monday to Friday, excluding Bank Holidays.